Karl IV of Germany

Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor (14 May 1316-29 November 1378), born Wenzel of Luxembourg, was King of Bohemia from 26 August 1346 to 29 November 1378 (succeeding John of Bohemia and preceding Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia), King of the Romans from 11 July 1346 to 29 November 1378 (succeeding Louis IV of Germany and preceding Wenceslaus IV), and Holy Roman Emperor from 1355 to 29 November 1378 (succeeding Louis IV and preceding Sigismund of Hungary). He had a long, successful reign, with 6,000 people attending his funeral in 1378.

Biography
Wenzel was born on 14 May 1316, the eldest son of King John of Bohemia and Elizabeth of Bohemia. He was named Wenceslaus in honor of his grandfather Wenceslaus II of Bohemia, but he chose Charles as his confirmation name in honor of his uncle Charles IV of France, at whose court he lived at for seven years. Charles received French education and became fluent in Latin, Czech, German, French, and Italian, gaining some experience in warfare in Italy in 1331 under his father. In 1333, he headed to Lucca in Tuscany to consolidate his rule, founding the fortress of Montecarlo (Charles' Mountain) while freeing Lucca from Pisan occupation. In 1334, he became Margrave of Moravia, and on 11 July 1346 his father and Pope Clement VI named him King of the Romans in opposition to Louis IV of Germany. Charles made concessions to the pope, and he promised to defend the church. His father died at the Battle of Crecy just a month after his appointment as King of the Romans.

Charles IV was in a weak position in Germany, nicknamed "the Priests' King" due to the circumstances of his appointment. His backing of the Kingdom of France during the Hundred Years' War led to his father's death at Crecy, in which Charles was wounded; nearly all of the Imperial cities remained loyal to Louis IV at the same time. However, Louis IV's death in 1347 during a bear hunt allowed for Charles to avoid a civil war with Louis' supporters, and Charles established the "New Town" of Prague, modelled after Paris. In 1348, he founded Charles University in Prague, the first university in Central Europe. Soon, Prague became the intellectual and cultural center of Central Europe. Charles used his imperial authority to annex Silesia, Upper Palatinate, and Franconia, but his centralization efforts (such as codifying Bohemian law) were fiercely resisted, putting an end to these efforts.

Holy Roman Emperor


On 5 January 1355, Charles was crowned Holy Roman Emperor with the Iron Crown of Lombardy, and he remained in Italy for just a few hours before returning to Germany, which was just recovering from the Black Death. Charles gave Luxembourg to his brother Wenceslaus and Moravia to his other brother John Henry, and in early 1371 he invaded Brandenburg. In 1373, the Margraviate of Brandenburg became a part of the Czech lands, and in 1365 he accompanied Pope Urban V from Avignon to Rome, being crowned King of Burgundy at Arles on the way. In 1368, he met Pope Urban V at Viterbo, but he was besieged at his palace at Siena, forcing him to leave. In 1376, he secured the election of his son Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia as King of the Romans, and he died in November 1378 in Prague of gout. Charles had led the Holy Roman Empire and Bohemia into an era of prosperity, and he was mourned across the empire, with 6,000 people taking part in his funeral procession.